Swirling beauty! This semi parasitic native of our higher quality prairies is quite a sight in spring. Easily spotted when little else is in bloom in the prairie or oak savanna.

Not a plant easily obtained. Not recommended for most gardens – just a fun plant worth knowing and looking for while hiking.

Always buy native species (especially rarer types) from known and reputable growers. Never dig plants (such as betony), as they will most likely drop dead upon arrival to your gardens!

Inquire for plant lists and growers whom are local.

Designer Ed Max is also cert naturalist plus cert arborist, and designs many gardens , woodlands, and other properties (both traditional and naturalistic) and meshes native with non-native species for wonderful and varied garden and landscape!

And (as seen here), a butterfly magnet. Cool bloom in summer, drab yellow in fall. Masses in sunnier wets and you’re on to something interesting and beneficial to the local pollinators . Landscape with natives, as seen in this Oak Brook landscape and wetland area.

In this Oakbrook landscape project we added wetland tolerant and native species, plus more traditional species- all of which help out the local butterfly and insect populations. Call for a native or Bee garden today!

Contact us soon for a design, or consultation and list of native species for your gardens!

How many borders do we all stare out at that LACK any sort of function or beauty? Suburbia is loaded with nasty untended and overgrown borders between properties. Full of mulberry (origin: China), Buckthorn (origin: Eurasia), Various honeysuckles (Origin: Asia). None of which do anything but cost monies to remove or maintain.

Why not cut it out, plant in something worth looking at, AND benefits the local wildlife such as pollinators and monarchs, song birds etc? As I write the statistics bear out some grim news: monarch populations down 80 -90% in the last 25 years, hundreds of song birds- all on the decline. YOU can help by renovating that border: plant in native shrubs, add a swath of native perennials and prairie species, even add some evergreen for screening (and cover for birds). It’s fun, and rewarding! Contact me for a list of native plants, for color, and healthful attributes for the birds and bees! Pictured is a red monarda in this Naperville landscape design.

Monarda hybrid (but still a native) is a true magnet for all pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflys. Plant native species !

Contact us for a list of beneficial trees, shrubs and native perennials for your gardens soon!

A cultivar of the native Hydrangea arborescens, this beauty called Annabella Hydrangea has been around a while, but still fits it’s niche in a woodland or shade garden landscape.This Naperville landscape project had an emphasis on light colored blooms , and white flowers to light up a dark border bed, or liven up a moon garden. Seen here after dark, this shrub blooms in eatly to mid summer. The bloom fades to a green then brown as it dries.Simply cut back to knee high in late winter (important). Feeding is not necessary, just water when dru. That’s it. Easy to divide as well.One of our go to plants for shade gardens, naturalistic landscapes, and on terraced walls.

Pale echinachea or pale coneflower is an easy to grow native wildflower, found in our higher quality remnant prairies of the Midwest. Easy to plug into your sunny landscapes- good for native bees and butterflies.

Native species require little if any fertilizer, little water (once established), no need for pesticides, and are a huge benefit for local and endangered insect and butterfly species- such as our imperiled monarch butterfly. Simply incorporate such species into a sunny bed in your yard. Contact us for further info.

What a gem is this unique 1890’s era townhome in the town of Oak Park, Il. And what a unique opportunity to landscape this small space!Located just to the south of a rather significant Frank Lloyd Wright home, this is in the heart of the historic Oak Park area. The front is terraced, and framed out in impressive limestone edgers, dating back over 100 years. The soils are intact- meaning deep loam throughout this area. There were not massive earth moving vehicles then, so we enjoy deep black soils; a rarity out in the suburbs. Back in the day, they just dug a hole to fit the loose stone foundations. Adding the new plants and creating this design was exciting.We’ve added in some vintage landscape species here: hydrangea, bulbs, and azalea, but used manay other more ‘modern’ species that fit this small site and shade situation. Native species such as Little Bluestem and Prairie Dropseed grasses, Bluebells, Rosanne geranium, and sedges for seasonal color, plus a touch of small but beguiling specie tulip, which do well in these habitats, and naturalize well.

Vintage landscapes , new design at this 1890’s era home in Oak Park, Il.

Here on our wooded landscape, nothing comes close in intensity than autumnal foliage change of the Japanese maples. Providing that continuation of color in the landscapes here in West Chicago & Winfield region, and in your own landscapes. The small maple (Acer ) group are easy to grow, prefer deep rich soils and some protection from hot mid-day suns.